Dr. Denise G Waugh, MD

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I have been an emergency physician since 1982 and spent over 20 years in a level II trauma center in Oregon. I enjoy helping others and the team approach to medicine that exists in a good emergency department. I don't enjoy overcrowding and pressure to see patients faster than I can possibly do a great job. I left emergency medicine to pursue advanced training in Palliative Care in 2008. I wanted a slower pace and more time to treat the entire patient and their needs. I felt I needed better communication skills and increased pain management knowledge. The ED can be a very frightening place for patients. Decisions are made at a pace that frequently confuses patients and their families and leads folks to feel they couldn't really participate in decision making. That is not what I would want and not what my patients and their families want. Initially after training at San Diego Hospice and the Institute for Palliative Medicine, I became a staff physician at Mercy Hospital where I researched the interface between emergency medicine and palliative care. It was a very informative year. I then returned to my alma mater at Scott and White - Temple, TX where I helped them start a successful palliative care program. That was very satisfying although at times frustrating. I left Scott and White in April 2013 to move with my husband to Austin. Austin allows us to live closer to our beautiful, energetic grandchildren and has allowed me to find a home at First Choice Freestanding Emergency Room. It is truly a lovely concept for patients to get quick, quality emergency care. I love the slower pace and that I get to combine the best of all I have learned in medicine.